LOGINVanessa's POV The echo of Ronan’s dark, smooth laugh bounded off the damp stone walls of the temple, a sickening sound that made every nerve in my body scream.He was looking down at my six-year-old son with a calm, patronizing fascination, enjoying the absolute, suffocating terror he had dropped into the room."Get your hands away from him," I snarled, stepping directly between Ronan and the water, my claws clicking into place as my wolf raged behind my ribs. "I said step back!""Vanessa, lower your posture," Mara’s raspy, cracked voice cut through the heavy mist. The old witch hadn't moved from her kneeling position near the edge of the pool, her blind, milky eyes fixed on the empty air between us. "You are acting out of blind panic, and it serves nothing."I snapped my head toward her, disbelief burning in my chest. "Mara, he poisoned him! He did something to my boy's blood just to drag us on our knees!""He did not poison the boy," Mara said coldly, her tone sharp and devoid of s
Abel's POV The pounding behind my eyes hit before I even opened them.It was a dull, heavy throb that vibrated all the way down to my jaw. I lay flat on my back on the stiff, sunken mattress, staring up at the stained water marks on the motel ceiling. The sour smell of cheap bleach, stale exhaust, and dried sweat filled my lungs, making my stomach turn.My throat was raw. I shifted my weight, and the faint, stinging ache along the side of my neck reminded me instantly of the night before. Marcos’s fingers digging into my skin. The crack of the drywall behind his head. The patronizing smirk on his face when he dropped Ronan’s name like a death sentence.I sat up slowly, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed, and buried my face in my hands.The room was bathed in the dirty yellow light filtering through the cheap plastic blinds. On the floor beside the nightstand lay the shattered remains of the whiskey bottle, dark glass glistening against the stained carpet.My wolf stirred in th
I whirled around, my bottle of whiskey swinging wide as my wolf surged to the fore, ready to slaughter whatever was lurking in the dark corner of that rotted motel room.Standing beside the bathroom door frame, casually leaning his shoulder against the peeling wallpaper, was Marcus.Ronan’s right hand.The sight of his slicked-back hair and that smug, knowing smirk cut straight through the dull haze of the alcohol. My instincts screamed, and before he could even finish inhaling his next breath, I moved.I crossed the small room in a fraction of a second, my hand locking around Marcos’s throat like a vice. The sheer force of my momentum slammed his back violently into the wall, shaking the dust from the ceiling tiles and leaving a fresh crack in the plaster."You," I growled, my voice layered with the guttural double-tone of my beast. "You’ve been tailing my truck since I turned off the main highway."Marcos didn't gasp for air. He didn't claw at my fingers. He just stood there trapped
Abel's POV The wind on the balcony was freezing, whipping heavy rain across my face, but the cold inside my chest was worse.I leaned my hands against the stone balustrade, staring out into the dark timber, my knuckles white, my jaw locked so tight my molars ached. My cheek was still burning where Vanessa's hand had cracked across my skin. The sting of the slap was nothing compared to the violent, humiliating anger churning in my gut."Fool," I spat into the storm, my voice swallowed by a sudden clap of thunder.I turned on my heel and began pacing the stone floor, four steps left, four steps right. My hands clenched into tight, heavy fists at my sides, my nails digging hard into my palms until I felt the sharp prick of broken skin.What the hell was wrong with me? I knew better. I had already bled for trusting a woman once before. My ex wife had stripped my pride, shredded my pack's dignity, and left me with a blade in my back. I swore I'd never let down my guard again. Yet here I w
Vanessa's POV "What is he doing here?"The words tore out of my throat, raw and trembling with a dangerous blend of horror and rage. My eyes stayed locked on Ronan, watching the blood drip from his jaw onto the ancient stone floor.Ronan didn't flinch. He slowly wiped his chin with the back of his hand, a small, patronizing smile dragging across his pale lips like he had all the time in the world. "Always so warm, Vanessa," he murmured softly. "You haven't lost your temper, I see.""Vanessa, listen to me," my father started, his voice a low, heavy rumble as he took a step forward, putting a massive hand out to keep the peace. "We had no choice. The boy's blood—"I didn't let him finish.The world went completely red. Before my father could even complete his sentence, my wolf surged to the surface with a deafening roar. I bolted forward, moving with an incredible, blinding speed that tore the damp air apart.Ronan barely had time to widen his eyes before my boot slammed directly into
Vanessa's POV My heels slammed against the ancient stone floor, the sound echoing off the damp walls like a ticking clock counting down my son’s life. Back and forth. Five steps to the edge of the dark pool, five steps back to the cold wall. My skin felt too tight for my body, my heart hammering against my ribs so hard it made my chest ache.In the center of the chamber, Mara was kneeling in the shadows, her hands hovering over Ethan's still, pale body. Her lips moved in a low, raspy murmur, spitting out words in a language that sounded like grinding rocks."Is it working?" I blurted out, my voice cracking as I took three fast steps toward her. "Mara, answer me! Why isn't his color coming back? Is he breathing?"Mara didn't stop. She just raised her voice, the incantation turning harsher, her bony fingers trembling as dark magic hummed in the air."Mara!" I stepped closer, my hands clenching into fists at my sides. "Look at his chest! It’s barely moving! What are you doing to him? Is







